Bahrain health worker trials
The Bahrain health worker trials were a series of legal cases in which forty-eight doctors, nurses, and dentists faced charges for their actions during the
The case drew international attention and criticism,[3] with organizations including the United Nations, the World Medical Association, Médecins Sans Frontières, the International Council of Nurses, Amnesty International, and Human Rights Watch expressing their concern over the health workers' military trials and sentences. An independent commission organized by the King of Bahrain concluded in November 2011 that many of the detained health workers had been subject to torture and abuse while in police detention.
Role of health workers in the Bahrain uprising
Beginning in February 2011, Bahrain saw sustained pro-democracy protests, centered at
Health workers played an important role in documenting the injuries, which were at the time downplayed or denied by the
At Salmaniya Medical Complex, doctors joined the protests themselves, speaking to protesters and media from the hospital stairs, after authorities blocked ambulances from bringing injured protesters there for care. The military responded by naming the hospital an opposition stronghold, taking it over on March 16.[7]
Arrests and charges
In March and April 2011, twenty health workers were arrested on a variety of felony charges for their actions during the protests, while an additional twenty-eight were arrested for misdemeanors.[1] The total number of arrested health workers exceeded seventy.[8] Dr. Ali Al-Ekri was arrested while performing surgery at Salmaniya Medical Complex.[9]
Charges against the doctors included "occupying a hospital, stockpiling weapons, spreading lies and false news, inciting hatred of Bahrain's rulers and calling for their overthrow, and withholding treatment of Sunnis". The government additionally alleged that blood from hospital
According to the prosecutor's case, al-Ekri acted as the group's ringleader, organizing staff at Salmaniya to oppose the Bahraini government.
The defendants denied all charges and maintained that the accusations were politically motivated. In a joint statement, they held that "our only crime was that during the unrest earlier this year, we were outspoken witnesses to the bloodshed and the brutal treatment by the security forces."[10] Bahraini MP Jamal Fakhro responded that Bahrain jails only "people who prefer to play politics rather than be doctors", not "doctors who treat people".[15] A spokesman for Bahrain's Information Affairs Authority stated that the health workers were fabricating their stories and that they were "collaborating with the hard liners" in "an attempted coup d'etat".[15]
British journalist
The BICI supported the government account that medics occupied the first floor of Salmaniya hospital. However, it rejected the claim that medics had supplied protesters with weapons and stated that evidence supporting allegations that medics denied health care to patients was "hardly conclusive," as paraphrased by Al Jazeera English.[18]
Trials
Felony trials
The twenty health workers facing felony charges were found guilty and sentenced on 29 September 2011 by the military National Safety Court of First Instance. According to the International Federation for Human Rights, the trial lasted only a few minutes.[19] Thirteen of the twenty received sentences of fifteen years' imprisonment, while five were sentenced to five years and two were sentenced to ten years.[6] The sentences were a blow to the hopes of human rights groups lobbying on the health workers' behalf, which had predicted authorities would ease their stance after releasing some defendants on bail.[20]
The defendants were scheduled to be retried by civilian courts after widespread international criticism.[21] The prosecutor's office stated that the defendants' confessions, which had allegedly been given under torture, would not be used as evidence.[22]
On 10 March 2012, Bahrain's Information Affairs Authority announced that the criminal charges against fifteen of the twenty would be dropped, and referred to a review board.[23] Their decision was reversed without explanation the following week.[24] The trials were postponed to 14 June.[25]
On 14 June the court acquitted nine medics and downgraded sentences against nine others. Ali Al-Ekri was sentenced to five years imprisonment, another doctor to three years and seven were given from one month to one year. Two other doctors did not appeal their sentences of 15 years' imprisonment, instead fleeing the country.
Misdemeanor trials
Of the 28 health workers charged with misdemeanors, 23 were convicted and five acquitted on 21 November 2012. Those convicted were sentenced to either serve three months in prison or pay 200 dinars (US$530). On 28 March 2013, 21 of the 23 convictions were overturned by an appeals court.[27][28] The remaining two health workers had chosen not to appeal their sentences.[29]
Torture of health workers
Many of the detained health workers stated that they were ill-treated or tortured while in custody, leading
In an investigation by Human Rights Watch, Dr. Rula al-Saffar stated that she had been given electric shocks in the hands and face, and threatened with rape. Al-Ekri described being "constantly beaten by cables, hoses, and fists", as well as being forced to stand for a full day. Dr. Ghassan Dhaif stated that he remained handcuffed and blindfolded for 21 days, and "was beaten every hour". Dr. Basim Dhaif alleged that he was beaten in front of his children at his home at the time of his arrest, and eventually signed a false confession while in custody after authorities threatened to harm his family.[30] Dr. Nader Dawani, a pediatrician, stated that he was forced to stand for seven days while being beaten by a female officer, and that other officers had tried to force a bottle into his anus.[32]
The BICI verified that "many detainees were subjected to torture and other forms of physical and psychological abuse".[21] The report stated that medics were among the tortured.[18]
Reactions
Domestic
Many Sunnis supporting the government of Bahrain stood against the doctors, accusing them of "deliberately worsening patient injuries for cameras" as well as "causing the deaths of protesters in order to discredit security personnel".[2] The BICI report said that some of the Shia health workers refused to treat Sunni patients and instead used their positions to support activists by promoting their causes.[33]
International
The trials drew sustained international attention, with governments, medical professional organizations, and human rights organizations issuing statements on behalf of the health workers.
Governments
The
Health worker organizations
In a letter published in
The International Council of Nurses and World Medical Association issued a joint statement objecting to the closed military trial and stated its belief that "Doctors and nurses have an ethical duty to care for patients irrespective of their race, colour, creed and political affiliation. No health professional should be put on trial for looking after injured and dying people."[38] The U.K.-based Royal College of Nursing wrote to the Bahraini government on the health workers' behalf, as well as sending them a direct video message of support in which General Secretary Peter Carter said, "All you were doing was your job. You were trying to care for people."[39]
Human rights organizations
International human rights groups said the accusations against doctors were "reprisals for treating injured protesters".
Freedom House called the trials part of "a pattern of repression that belies any promises of reform and honest political discourse by the government or the ruling family".[43] Front Line Defenders also described the arrests as part of a "widespread pattern of repression".[9] Human Rights Watch protested the alleged torture of the medics, condemned what it called the "fundamental unfairness" of the trials, and urged the appeals court to overturn the "flawed convictions".[30] The Gulf Centre for Human Rights called on Bahrain's king to "intervene personally and immediately" to have the charges against the health workers dropped.[44] The U.S.-based Physicians for Human Rights also called for the health workers' immediate release.[10]
See also
- College of Health Sciences, Bahrain
References
- ^ a b "Under the Gun: Ongoing Assaults on Bahrain's Health System" (PDF). Physicians for Human Rights. May 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
- ^ a b c d e f Samia Nakhoul (14 June 2012). "Bahrain eases medic sentences, U.S. "deeply disappointed"". Reuters. Retrieved 21 June 2012.
- ^ a b c Rania El Gamal (1 October 2012). "Bahrain court upholds jail terms on protesting medics: BNA". Reuters. Chicago Tribune. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
- ^ "Bahrain protests: Police break up Pearl Square crowd". BBC News. 17 February 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ "Bahrain military court finds medics guilty". Amnesty International. 29 September 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ a b c d Matthew Cassel (2 December 2011). "Bahraini doctors speak out against torture". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ a b "Health Services Paralyzed: Bahrain's Military Crackdown on Patients" (PDF). Doctors Without Borders. April 2011. Archived from the original (PDF) on 13 May 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
- ^ Bill Law (30 May 2013). "Irish medical campus in Bahrain challenged". BBC. Retrieved 2 June 2013.
- ^ a b "Human Rights Defenders at Risk". Front Line Defenders. Archived from the original on 17 June 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ a b c d Sharmila Devi (8 October 2011). "Medical community urged to defend Bahraini doctors". The Lancet. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ Talea Miller (29 September 2011). "Medical Workers in Bahrain Sentenced to 15 Years in Prison". PBS Newshour. Archived from the original on 21 January 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
- ^ "Bahrain medical staff sentenced over protests". Al Jazeera. 29 September 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ "Public Prosecutor's Statement on Medical Staff Trials". Bahrain News Agency. 2 October 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ Matthew Cassel (2 December 2011). "From 'hero' to 'criminal' for Bahrain surgeon". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ a b "Bahrain says charged medics 'attempted coup'". Al Jazeera. 1 October 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ Robert Fisk (14 June 2011). "I saw these brave doctors trying to save lives – these charges are a pack of lies". The Independent. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ "Letters: Saudi forces in Bahrain to help". The Independent. 16 June 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ a b "Bahrain court upholds verdict in medics trial". Al Jazeera English. 1 October 2012. Retrieved 1 October 2012.
- ^ "Bahrain". International Federation for Human Rights. Archived from the original on 10 March 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
- ^ "Bahrain sentences medics who treated protesters". BBC News. 29 September 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ a b "Bahrain Court Cases Resume For Doctors, Anti-Government Protesters". Voice of America. 8 January 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ "Bahrain resumes retrial of convicted medics". Al Jazeera. 9 January 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
- ^ Andrew Hammond (10 March 2012). "Bahrain says to start talks, drop charges for some medics". Reuters. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
- ^ Andrew Hammond (20 March 2012). "Bahrain to push on with medics trial, not drop cases". Reuters. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
- ^ "Bahrain delays medics' retrial until June". The Seattle Times. Associated Press. 10 May 2012. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
- ^ "Bahrain: King Should Quash Convictions". Human Rights Watch. 8 October 2012. Retrieved 27 May 2013.
- ^ "Medics on Trial in Bahrain". Physicians for Human Rights. 10 April 2013. Archived from the original on 6 March 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
- ^ "Bahrain medics' convictions overturned by appeals court". BBC News. 28 March 2013. Archived from the original on 3 April 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
- ^ "Bahrain appeals court revokes jail for medics". Global Post. Agence France-Presse. 28 March 2013. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 17 April 2013.
- ^ a b c "Bahrain: Medics Describe Torture in Detention". Human Rights Watch. 22 October 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ a b "Bahrain faces fresh torture claims over health workers' trial". Amnesty International. 7 June 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ Ali Khalil (26 December 2011). "Bahrain medics recall jail 'horror'". Agence France-Presse. Archived from the original on 26 February 2014. Retrieved 25 May 2012.
- ^ a b "Convicted Bahrain Medical Workers Seek International Support". Voice of America. 16 June 2012. Retrieved 24 June 2012.
- ^ a b c "Bahrain: UN voices concern at sentences given to medical staff, activists". UN News Centre. 30 September 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ Hamish Meldrum (30 September 2011). "Deep concern over Bahrain medics". The Guardian. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ "AMA Condemns Threats To Doctors And Nurses In World Trouble Spots, Australia". Medical News Today. 8 June 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ Christopher Stokes (16 May 2011). "MSF Director speaks out against Bahrain crackdowns". Doctors Without Borders. Archived from the original on 24 January 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ Linda Carrier-Walker; Otmar Kloiber (9 June 2011). "Doctors and nurses leaders call for fair trial in Bahrain" (PDF). International Council of Nurses. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ "RCN sends message of support to health care staff facing trial in Bahrain". Royal College of Nursing. 26 March 2012. Archived from the original on 3 December 2013. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ "Amnesty International Condemns Guilty Verdicts and Heavy Prison Sentences Against Doctors and Health Professionals in Bahrain". Amnesty International. 29 September 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ "UA: 296/11 Index: MDE 11/053/2011 Bahrain". Amnesty International. 30 September 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ "Bahrain urged to free prisoners of conscience as appeals approach". Amnesty International. 23 July 2012. Archived from the original on 25 July 2012. Retrieved 23 July 2012.
- ^ "Ongoing Abuses in Bahrain Delegitimize Upcoming National Dialogue". Freedom House. Retrieved 24 May 2012.
- ^ "Bahrain: International Human Rights Organizations Observed the Trial of the Medical Staff in Manama". Gulf Centre for Human Rights. 29 November 2011. Retrieved 24 May 2012.